


Fill Up Your Lungs

by 221BSunsetTowers



Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo Stories [13]
Category: 9-1-1: Lone Star (TV 2020)
Genre: Angst with a Happy Ending, Bad Things Happen Bingo, Carlos Reyes Needs a Hug (9-1-1 Lonestar), Established Carlos Reyes/TK Strand, Good Significant Other TK Strand, Hurt Carlos Reyes, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, TK Strand Needs A Hug, Worried TK Strand
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-01-23
Packaged: 2021-03-14 20:21:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28926468
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/221BSunsetTowers/pseuds/221BSunsetTowers
Summary: There's a flash, and a hiss, and suddenly the room is filled with a gas that feels thick enough to be a smog, and it's winding its way through Carlos' lips and twisting down his throat and latching into his lungs.Somehow at some point Carlos finds himself in the back of an ambulance, flying through the streets, and TK is above him, and even though Carlos can't see him right now through his tear-filled eyes, he has every feature memorized.
Relationships: Carlos Reyes/TK Strand
Series: Bad Things Happen Bingo Stories [13]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1826659
Comments: 10
Kudos: 154
Collections: Bad Things Happen Bingo, Carlos Reyes Week 2021





	Fill Up Your Lungs

**Author's Note:**

> Written for Carlos Reyes Week, Day 5, "Just, hold on." +hurt/comfort, and for Bad Things Happen Bingo square "Ambulance Ride". 
> 
> Focus is on Carlos and TK/Carlos, but the wonderful Marjan, Judd, Mateo, Paul, and Owen play a very important role at the end.

Carlos feels the world turn upside down. 

  
One minute, he's throwing a wink at TK as they both pull into the same scene, TK grinning back at him, and the next the fire is growing on one side of the building and the suspect is screaming obscenities on the other, and there's no time for anything but the job in that next moment.

  
One suspect should be an easy takedown, but it's always better to be safe than sorry, especially when they don't know what he used to start the fire or why he decided arson was the answer. 

  
Carlos is in the lead position when they find out the answer.

  
There's a flash, and a hiss, and suddenly the room is filled with a gas that feels thick enough to be a smog, and it's winding its way through Carlos' lips and twisting down his throat and latching into his lungs. His knees give out and he collapses to the floor, tries to roll over and crawl his way out under the smoke, but his limbs won't cooperate and he's stuck staring at the ceiling, trying to hold TK's smile in his mind so that's the last thing he sees no matter what, not the smoke and the chipping concrete ceiling.

  
An oxygen mask is suddenly clasped on to his face, strong arms scoop him up and clutch him close as he is carried out of the building and gently placed on a gurney. He knows those arms, and he knows the face hovering right above him, knows TK's face better than his own even with his sight blurred by stinging tears.

  
The burning eyes are the gateway, the real pain comes right after, head pounding and stomach seizing and worst of all chest contracting desperately in on itself but no breath reaching his lungs. Carlos is terrified to find his limbs still won't listen to his fogged brain, but now his arms and legs are spasming and flailing, and the oxygen mask goes flying off which is fine because it wasn't doing any good anyway.

  
Somehow at some point Carlos finds himself in the back of an ambulance, flying through the streets, and TK is above him, and even though Carlos can't see him right now through his tear-filled eyes, he has every feature memorized.

  
***

  
If it wasn't for his dad, TK would have run straight to Carlos with an oxygen mask for him, but none for himself. TK felt like he hadn't been able to breathe anyway since he saw the gas oozing from the window frames. 

  
But Owen had grabbed his shoulder, refused to let TK pull away, and strapped a mask and tank on his son before letting him go.

  
That was the last thing TK had been actively able to do for the love of his life.

  
Now he finds himself in the back of an ambulance, and all he sees is Carlos in pain, trying to curl in on himself, fighting for every breath, and TK is trying so hard to be brave and calm but he can't be when he sees his boyfriend like this, hurting and so scared, and nothing TK can do to help. Anything medical is out of his hands right now, he's too personally invested to be allowed near any equipment, and so he focuses everything he has on Carlos.

  
"He can't breathe on his own, we need to intubate him!" one of the paramedics calls out, and Carlos' eyes get even wider, and he is wheezing, trembling, chest heaving, absolutely terrified, and TK is crying as he takes Carlos' hands in his own and massages them between his fingertips.

"It's okay, baby, I'm right here, you're going to be fine," TK says, knowing his voice is shaking all over the place, but he can see the way Carlos' muscles relax just that tiny fraction while TK is talking, and he vows he'll talk forever and ever if that's what Carlos needs. "They need to intubate you, sweetheart, I know that sounds scary, but it'll help you breathe, so just keep holding on to my hands, squeeze them as hard as you need. Just, hold on. I've got you, baby, just hold on."

  
And true to his word, TK doesn't let go, not even when Carlos passes out.

  
***  
When Carlos wakes up, he can see every tear stain on TK's face, and he can see the relieved grin TK immediately gives him too. "Hey baby," TK says softly, standing up from his chair next to Carlos' hospital bed to give him a gentle kiss, still clutching on to Carlos' hand. "How are you feeling?"

  
"Surprisingly good," Carlos responds, wincing at how raspy his voice sounds, and TK immediately has a cup of water and a straw ready. "I thought..." Carlos looks into TK's red-rimmed eyes and his words trail off.

  
"Yeah, me too," TK answers shakily, running his free hand through his already-disheleved hair. "Me too, sweetheart."

  
"C'mere, Ty, please." Carlos is already carefully sliding his body over, TK knowing exactly how to fit onto the bed without bumping into the IV line. At home, Carlos is almost always the big spoon, curling his body around T.K. and the outside world, his hand resting right over his boyfriend's heart. But here, now, TK leans against the pillows and rests Carlos back against his chest, pressing kisses into his curls as he wraps him in his arms.

  
"The doctor said there won't be any lasting effects, since they knew the name of the toxin so quickly," TK assures Carlos, interlacing their fingers over Carlos' heart. "It felt like a miracle, Los, it really did. I thought..." 

  
"Hey, you kept me here," Carlos says softly, gently, turning his head to lay a kiss on the corner of TK's mouth. "I didn't let go."

"Don't think I've ever been called a miracle before, but I'll take it." Judd's drawl sounds from the doorway. Carlos can see that TK is smiling as Judd steps into the room, followed immediately by Owen, Marjan, Paul, and Mateo, sporting matching highly pleased grins across their faces.

  
"It's good to see you without all the tubes, Carlos," Owen says kindly, and his gentle squeezing of Carlos' shoulder is repeated by the rest of the newly arrived firefighters, all of whom stay close to the bed.

  
"They're the ones who got the name of the toxin before you and I even made it to the hospital," TK tells Carlos, who stares up at them in astonishment. "As soon as the doctors had that, they were able to start you on a system to flush the toxin out. You were breathing on your own again before I'd had a chance to pace a new hole in the waiting room floor."

  
"Turns out it doesn't take much courage to be a low-grade mad gasser with some matches," Paul says smugly, flashing Carlos a grin. "We barely got to cross our arms and glare, didn't even get to say anything scary before he was spilling all the details."

  
"I was all for throwing him back in the fire," Marjan says with a shrug, eyes twinkling, and Carlos laughs, TK's smile growing broader at the happy sound.

  
"But the fire was already out," Mateo says, tone full of confusion, and Marjan good-naturedly rolls her eyes, slinging an arm around his shoulders.

  
"I could have started another fire, Probie," she says with a grin, and everyone in the room is laughing now.

  
"Thank you guys, so much," Carlos says softly, unable to tamp down the grateful tears wobbling in every word.

  
"That's what family's for," Owen promises with a smile, and Carlos nods, smiles back, leans into TK's loving arms, and knows with all his heart how lucky he is to have so many hands ready to catch him when he falls.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading! You can find me here or at 221BSunsettowers on Tumblr!


End file.
